A day at Aiedo High
by Nilke
Summary: A glance at a regular day at the High School of the town of Aiedo during the events of PS IV. What was suposed to be a regular day turns into trouble. (Alternate Universe fic)
1. Chapter 1: The new student

**A day at Aiedo High**

Chapter 1: The new student

It was a sunny morning, in the biggest town all over Motavia and even Algol, Aiedo. The shops were starting to open its doors, and the market would soon start attending people. Anyway, the streets in that area, at one side of the Market, were quite busy at that time.

Many students were heading in that direction. Grey trousers, white shirt and blue tie for boys; black shoes, blue socks, kilt skirt and t-shirt for girls. Some already bored, others still sleepy, school wasn't something they could slip from that easily.

"Hey, Chaz, wait for me!", a voice called the blonde haired youth, who was almost getting into that huge, grey building with those big silver letters above the door: "AIEDO HIGH SCHOOL".

The boy with a red hairband looked back, and saw his little Motavian friend running towards him, followed by his sister.

"Hi, Gryz", Chaz greeted him, yawning.

"Hi, Chaz", the blue furred boy greeted back. "Well, Pana, I'll see you later. Take care, and maybe I'll drop by the cafeteria at lunch-time, to see if you are ok", he said to his younger sister.

"Please, Brother, don't do that", the female Motavian begged, tired of that never ending scene. "It's not my first year here, but my second! I know how to look after myself!"

"Anyway, maybe I'll drop by, nonetheless", her brother replied, frustrating her. He didn't understand that she wasn't a little kid anymore. "Good luck", he said, while going into the building with Chaz.

"Don't you think that you should let her do her own life, at least for a little while?", the blonde teen asked his friend, curiosuly. He also couldn't understand how Gryz could be so overprotective with Pana. Maybe because he didn't have a little sister or brother to look after…

"It's my duty. I have to protect her. I'm her older brother after all", Gryz replied, as if it were the commonest thing in the world.

"Hey, I'm sick of this!", Chaz moaned, grabbing some papers that an oddly dressed girl gave him. "When is he going to stop with this?!", he asked his friend, showing them the papers.

They had all the same legend, that they had read for the past month and a half, almost: "VOTE FOR ZIO AS STUDENTS' REPRESENTATIVE"

"I wonder why he would like to be our representative, if he just wants to do his own will", Gryz commented, not paying much attention.

"You wonder that, but many students have fallen in his trap", Chaz said, pointing to a bunch of boys and girls wearing odd green hats and any dark clothes they could combine with their uniform, who were gluing some papers in the school walls. Obviously, the papers said: "VOTE FOR ZIO".

The two teens went on walking through the school, making his way to their cabinets section. Only that what was waiting for them there wasn't so pleasant…

"Oh, no! Zio again!", Chaz whispered, deeply annoyed.

"Seems that our representative wants to drive us into his people", Gryz said, ironically.

The two students kept on walking, trying to act as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, they were stopped by Zio and his sidekick, Juza, who seemed as an extension of Zio's body, because it was quite difficult to see him away from his so called "Master".

"Look what we have here…", the black haired youth said, ironically. "If it isn't the pest and the worm, together!"

"Who do you think you call worm?", Gryz yelled, angrily.

"You realized it was you the 'worm', while he's the 'pest'", Zio replied, laughing.

"Hey, stop with that", Chaz said, trying to bring a little of peace. "Let us reach our cabinets, take out our things and then we leave", he offered, trying to act maturely, although he knew he was shacking.

"That wouldn't be fun, pest!", Zio said, grabbing Chaz from his shirt collar, and raising him over the floor, leaving the shorty youth 'suspended in the air'.

"Hey, Zio, leave him right now or I'll tear you into pieces!", a feminine voice, not so friendly at this rate, came from behind the black haired guy.

Zio turned back, and saw a brownish haired youth, Alys Brangwin, looking menacingly at him.

"Ah, Brangwin, it's you!", Zio said, ironically. "And do you think you have a chance against me? You are joking!"

"Wanna bet?", she asked, almost glaring at him.

"Everything for money, uh? I wonder what's the last thing you would do for money…", he said, mischievously, while evading a soft attempt of punch from Chaz, who was going to collapse at any moment.

"Stop harassing the pipsqueak, Zio!", a manly voice came from the other direction, from where Chaz and Gryz came.

They all looked in that side, and they could see a tall, light blue haired boy, Rune Walsh.

He dropped Chaz, who managed to land with his two feet, and not with any other part of his body. Seems he didn't want to have troubles with his skilled classmate… leaving behind that Rune's loud voice sort of scared him at the beginning.

"Ah, Walsh, it's you", he muttered, angrily. "You won't have it that easy, but I'm leaving for now", he said, turning back. "Juza, come"

The grayish haired boy turned back and followed his friend, closely.

"Hey, are you alright, Chaz?", Alys asked him, worried. "Your swing is too slow, by the way. But you weren't in top form, so I'll forgive you that", she added, talking as a professional –which she was, but outside school.

"What does she mean?", Gryz asked his friend, without understanding a word.

"Don't you remember?", Chaz asked him, rubbing his throat. "She's my tutor at the Hunter's Guild, where I go after school"

"Rune!", Alys exclaimed, walking to her classmate's side. "You are back!"

"Hi, Alys. Long time we no see!", the young Esper student greeted her back, with his usual aura of mystery.

"Yes! You didn't allow me to visit you while you were sick!", she complained, smiling. "How are you doing from it?"

"Ah… my illness, yes! I had already forgotten about it!", he said, quickly, as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "I'm fine, thanks. Nothing what would put me in danger"

"Always the same conceited jerk…", Chaz whispered annoyed to Gryz, who laughed at that remark. "I can't understand how Alys copes with him. She even wastes her time worrying about him, even if she denies it…"

"Love's blind, they say", the blue-furred Motavian shrugged.

"You have anything to say, pipsqueak, after I saved your life?", Rune asked him, as if he had heard what the blonde haired youth whispered.

"Nothing, but thanks for popping out", he replied, not satisfied with that.

The ring started sounding, with that annoying, never-ending tone it had, announcing that way the beginning of classes.

"Well, we'll see you later", Alys said, walking next to Rune. "Good luck"

"Bye", the motavian and the young apprentice of Hunter replied at unison.

Soon, they reached their class, where there were some students not many. Kyra was already there, as sleepy as ever.

"Hi, boys", she greeted, trying to repress a yawn.

"Hi, Kyra", Chaz greeted back, sitting in his bench, in the middle row of the class. He would have liked to sit further, but Hahn, the student's tutor and teacher in training, made him switch places, as the teachers asked him to do that, because he wasn't doing that well as they expected him to do.

"How's my little bro doing?", Kyra joked, looking at Chaz.

That was something that he really hated, with all his strength. Who on Algol was she to call him her 'little brother', just because once when he was 10 he got lost and she helped him to reach his home?! He had just arrived to Aiedo, so it was a comprehensible thing that he would get lost…

"Am I that undependable or what?!", he asked, annoyed. As Gryz and Kyra didn't reply, but looked at each other as if they were about to laugh, he changed the topic. "Which one's our first class today?"

"Professor Holt, I think", Kyra replied, in the middle of a yawn.

"What manners, Kyra", Chaz noticed, trying to get some revenge, but that was spoiled by Professor Holt, who came into the classroom just when he said that.

"Good morning, pupils", the grey haired middle aged man greeted, leaving his stuff in his desk. "Today we'll keep on dealing with our BW times, but first, we have a new student in this class, and I have the honor to introduce her to you", the man said, feeling proud of himself. "Come here, little one, there's nothing to be afraid of", he added, looking at the door, which was a little open, and that explained their teacher's behavior.

"I hope it's a little cute Motavian of our age", Gryz whispered excited to Chaz, who was sitting in the bench next to his. "There aren't many Motavians in this school…"

The door opened, and a short, pink-haired girl came in, shyly. She was wearing the school's uniform and seemed comfortable there, and she walked to the center of the classroom, giving her back to the blackboard and facing her new mates that way.

"Hi, my name is Rika…", the new girl introduced herself, but was soon interrupted by some student, who, from the back of the class, asked, shouting,

"What's with your ears?!"

The whole class turned back to face the 'brave' student who had the guts to ask that question so irreverently, and then turned back to face Rika. Rika looked to another direction, without trying to soften her annoyed expression, and then sighed, bitterly.

"These are my ears", she said, resigned. "I come from Birth Valley, in Zema", she added, as if that explained everything. And it did, because nobody said anything more. Or they didn't dare to.

"From Birth Valley?", Holt asked, enthusiastically. "That's very interesting. Could you explain us a bit more, in another class, if you wish? We are almost in that topic according to the study schedule, so it would be great if your fellow mates could hear about it from someone who comes from it…"

"Well, if you want…", Rika accepted shyly, blushing.

"Great!", Holt approved, happily. "Well, Rika, make yourself comfortable in the class. I guess you'll have to sit there, in the middle, next to Ashley", he said, pointing to her the clear sit in the middle of the classroom, next to Chaz, who had listened to her introduction with some interest.

"Ok…", Rika said, almost like a whisper, making her way to her new seat.

"Hi, I'm Chaz", the blond apprentice greeted her, as soon as she left her things in her seat.  
"Hi, Chaz", Rika whispered, smiling.

"Hi, Rika!", Kyra also greeted her, who was sitting in the bench just behind hers. "I'm Kyra Tierney, nice to meet you"

"Hi", the pink haired newcomer greeted back, cheerfully.

"Well, kids, open your books where we left last class", Holt said, picking a piece of chalk and ready to start his class.

/

Notes: Yes! The PS section was begging for its own High School parody... or not! But here it is, mind you!


	2. Chapter 2: First Break

Chapter 2: First break

"Finally! Break!", Kyra exclaimed, when Holt was gone and the ring sounded fiercely. "I'm gonna take some fresh air, guys. See you later!", she waved at them, and run across the corridor.

"She sure was in a hurry", Rika commented, giggling.

"Yes, she wants to join the guys in their soccer team", Gryz explained, chuckling. "She never gets into their teams, even if she could be the new female soccer revelation"

"Ah, I see…", Rika said, puzzled. "Anyway, it seems fun"

"Hey, let's introduce you to Alys and Rune!", Chaz exclaimed, coming with that rather good idea.

"Well, why not?", Gryz shrugged, sign that he accepted.

"Who are Alys and Rune?", Rika asked, while they were going through one of the school's corridor, crowded with curious students who were looking at her pointed ears.

"Two final year students", Gryz replied.

"Alys is my instructor at the Hunter's Guild, and Rune is one of her friend's, a complete jerk", Chaz explained, shrugging. "I don't know how she copes with him"

"What's the Hunter's Guild?"

"It's like a Club, to say at least... We go and train there, and there's someone older teaching us different battle techniques. Then, if you are good enough, you can join the Hunters after finishing High School, and take requests, and things like that. It's a good way of living if you aren't into sciences or commerce"

Rika giggled, and the three students kept on walking through the corridor, until they finally reached one of the final year's students classrooms. Right there, next to the door, Alys and Rune were chatting, leaning against the wall.

"Hi, Chaz!", Alys waved at them, cheerfully. "Oh, are you a new student?", the brown haired girl asked Rika, while looking cautiously at her long, horn like ears.

"Yes. I'm Rika", the pink-hair numan replied, noticing Alys' behavior.

"Well, hi Rika. I'm Alys, and this one here is Rune, my friend and classmate", she introduced herself and Rune, naturally.

"Hi", Rune greeted her, seriously. He seemed too thoughtful for his usual self, for some reason…

Rika silently thanked him for not staring at her ears, even if it would be the natural thing to do.

"So, is this your first day here?", Alys asked, bringing up a theme of conversation.

"Yes, it is", Rika replied, smiling. "In fact, it's my first day at any kind of school"

"What?", Gryz asked, astonished. "Have you been imprisoned by your odd looking ears?"

"Not at all", Rika replied, puzzled. "I've been created a year ago by Seed, but he told me to leave Birth Valley, and I came here, with the help of Professor Holt…"

"But wasn't it that he didn't know you?", Chaz asked, suspiciously.

"He doesn't know the full story. He just found me in Birth Valley", Rika replied, tired. "He just had to act like he had first seen me"

"So you are an artificial life form, uh?", Rune asked, still serious.

"Yes"

"And that's why your ears are like that?", Alys asked, shyly.

Rika rolled her eyes. "I suppose"

"Why are you telling us all this?", Rune asked the pink-haired numan, suspiciously. "I mean, we barely know you, you barely know us..."

Rika rubbed her chin. "You are right about that", she admitted, shrugging. "Maybe it is because I find you all too friendly to me, despite my odd-looking ears?", she asked, innocently.

"Oh, well, enough of this!", Alys exclaimed, trying to get out of the sticky situation. "Let's show you the school! Break is short, but at least you'll see more things than this corridor", she added, leading the group. However, she almost bumped into Mito, who was coming from the opposite direction.

"Sorry Mito", the brown haired student apologized, smiling. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, thanks", the old school secretary replied, smiling kindly. "You are all too cheerful today", she stated, staring at the small group.

"We are being friendly with the new gal, that's all", Gryz replied, pointing to Rika.

"Oh, I see", Mito nodded, giggling. "You better take care of her, uh"

"Maybe you can tell us our fortune, now that we have some time!", Alys proposed, as Mito was also a part-time fortune-teller, outside the school's gates. The brown haired student was also interested in fortune-telling and psychic stuff, even if she didn't admit it openly. Otherwise, she wouldn't know about Mito's activities, even if she claimed that the old lady looked after her when she was little.

Mito became pale and silent. "Sorry, girls, but something's not right today...", she apologized, seriously. "I don't like what I see, and since I've woken up early in the morning I've had a bad feeling about today..."

"Do you say it because of me?", Rika asked, frightened.

"No, little girl, it wasn't because of you!", the old woman calmed her down quickly, sincerely. "It's something else, but it doesn't have to do with you...", she said, thoughtfully. "Alys, you take care, yes?", she said, now facing the brown-haired girl.

"Yes, I always do, but why do you say it?", Alys asked concerned.

"I don't know... However, I always tell you to take care, don't I?", Mito told her, before leaving. "Take care, all of you, children!", she said, waving at them.

"I don't like this...", Rune mumbled, as he watched the old woman walking along the corridor. "Why wouldn't she want to read your fortune? She always does", he stated, staring at Alys.

"I don't know... maybe she's not inspired today, or the planets aren't aligned", Alys replied, shrugging. "Well, let's go on walking around the school, before the break's over!", she proposed, trying to get over that odd moment.

"Does she always switch topics that often?", Rika asked Chaz.

"Well, she sometimes does", the blonde guy replied, smiling. "I say that it's her self-defense mechanism..."

"Chaz! I heard you!", Alys yelled, annoyed. "I don't have to switch topics to defend myself, when I can throw my slicer!"

"Not when you are _inside_ the school", Rune teased her, smiling.

"That's a minor detail, but thanks for reminding me", Alys teased him back. "No one knows what can happen"

They kept on walking, chatting and coming to know the new girl, when they heard a scream. Quickly, they went to the gym, where they found some guys lying down, afraid, and a smiling Kyra holding the soccer ball. Apparently, she had used some of her true magic to get the ball and ruin her companions' game.

"Kyra! How many times did I tell you not to use Flaeli at school?", a green haired guy wearing a tiara yelled at her, annoyed. Clearly, he was another Esper, who had to pay attention to Kyra's behavior, as she had been warned several times by the School's Principal to stop using magic agains her fellows.

"Oh, you are no fun, Hans!", she complained, rolling her eyes. "They wouldn't let me get in the game! I warned them that I would get angry, but they didn't hear me!"

"But that doesn't allow you to fry them!", Hans said, sighing.

Rune rolled his eyes. "Hans' right, Kyra", he said, approaching the arguing couple. "You can't be showing off your powers every day at any time"

"And who called you now?", Kyra replied angrily at Rune. "I already have to cope with Hans, and now you also want to preach me? Who do you think you are?", she kept on asking, annoyed. "You aren't much better than me, getting into trouble almost every day. Besides, I'm sure that if Master Lutz got to be in the same situation as I'm, he would have done the same thing I did... or he would approve it!", she yelled, as she talked passionatelly about Lutz.

"Well... he wouldn't have attended school in Motavia, but at the Mansion", Hans noticed. "And there, the only thing you can play is some snowflakes war... And you always used to bury me under the snow before I could realize you were behind me"

Kyra giggled. "That's because you are too slow", she teased her fellow Esper friend, and then she shouted. "Who's in for some soccer match?"

The boys that still laid in the ground glared at her.

"Well, guess it's just the two of us, Hans"

"Wait... I don't want to play against you", the boy complained, terrified. "You kick the ball with too much strength… stronger than me, in fact!"

"There I go!", Kyra yelled, already picking the ball and started running towards Hans area.

The poor Esper boy could only try to catch the ball... or evade it.

"I hate her when she uses that Lutz argument", Rune mumbled as he walked away from them. "If I just could do something about it..."

"But you can't, can you?", Alys said, calmly. "You would have already done it a long time ago, if you could"

Rune smiled. "You are right on that"

Chaz, Gryz and Rika stayed a few metres behind, watching at the unofficial couple ahead.

"Are they together?", Rika asked, curiously.

"Not officially", Gryz replied. "But they are all the time together, at least at school"

"I've known Alys since primary school, and she already knew that guy from kindergarten... but he switched schools and then returned here for High school...", Chaz explained. "I can't understand how she copes with him... He's a complete jerk, always bossing people around and acting as if he knew everything"

"I second that", Kyra said, joining the group, with the soccer ball still in her hands. "And you don't have to cope with him **outside** school"

"He's not that bad... only a bit distant and know-it-all", Hans said, rubbing his arm, after getting hit by a ball that Kyra kicked to him.

"You always want to be on good terms with Light and Darkness!", Kyra complained, punching him in the same place he was rubbing, hurt.

"Ouch!"

Rika giggled at the scene, even if she felt sorry for the guy.

Right then, the ring rang, ending the break. Slowly, everyone returned to their classroom, ready for another class.

/

Notes: Hans' the first name I came up with for the green haired Esper guy sprite that appeared in-game, guarding the Inner Sanctum, that recognizes Kyra and Rune.


	3. Chapter 3: Trouble at the second break

Chapter 3: Trouble at the second break

"Oh, another great class", Gryz said, ironically, once he got into the classroom.

Professor Raja, the Social Studies teacher, was already in the classroom when they arrived. He looked at each of the students as they came in, but he kept on staring at the new, pink-haired student. "Wait... the new girl has horns, or is it just me?"

"This aren't horns! These are my ears...", Rika said, covering her ears, shily.

"We haven't warned you... he loves making stupid jokes at everything and everyone", Chaz whispered her, in haste.

"Please, don't make any silly jokes about my ears, sir!", Rika pleaded, as soon as she heard Chaz's last comment.

"Alright, odd child, if you ask it... I'll try not to do them"

"He won't resist it", Kyra mumbled, chuckling.

"Poor me", Rika said, whining. Right now, she was wondering why Seed considered that she had to go to a normal High School... when he knew everything about Algo. She would get a much better gasp of knowledge by his side, rather than here.

"Alright, kids...", Raja said, picking the book while also staring at Rika's ears. "Let's open the book at unit… Sorry, Miss Newcomer, but does that piercing hurt in that long ear of yours?", he asked, completely distracted by the numan's longer than average ears.

Most of the class laughed, tempted.

Rika sighed. It was going to be a long class, with that green Dezorian ahead.

/

Another break finally came, after what must have been ages for Rika. She didn't learn anything new about Palman History –she doubted she could learn something else, since she knew well about it from first-hand, from Seed-, but she learnt quite a number of bad jokes about her ears and about everything else. She enjoyed the general ones, but the ones about her ears made her feel embarrassed. She was thinking in getting some new hair cut that would cover those damned things for once and for all, or some hat or hood, even if that went against the School's regularions.

"What's the next class? Will I get as embarrassed as in this one?", she asked her new friends, once Professor Raja had left the classroom.

"Oh, no, not at all", Chaz said. "Computer science's next. It's a good subject, and the teachers are quite nice…"

"But don't ever think about getting into any chatroom or webpage, because the androids will get you just as you think about doing so", Gryz warned her.

"Androids?", she asked, surprised. "Who are the teachers?"

"Professor Wren, and his assistant Demi", the blonde boy replied, surprised that she may know them. "You don't know them beforehand, do you?"

Rika nodded, in relief. "Yes, I've chat a couple of times with Wren when I lived at Birth Valley. Seed often got in contact with him, and so I learned a lot from those two"

"Who's Seed?", the boy asked.

Rika hesitated before answering, but Chaz seemed to be a nice person, as well as his friends, so there wasn't any risk. She could talk about her past without troubles, couldn't she?

"He's my father… well, not strictly… in a way…", she said, trying to find the words. How could she describe him, since he was a computer? "Well, it's too long to explain, but let's say that he's the one who looks after me, my paternal figure."

"Alright, sounds reasonable", Kyra said, smiling. "But I don't know if we'll have that class, since there's some sort of act or announcement today, I can't recall why…"

"They didn't say what it was about, that's why you can't recall it", Hans filled in.

"Oh, Little Brains talked and reminded us that we don't know anything", Kyra teased him.

"Hey, you stated that you didn't know what was going to happen next!"

Rika slowly walked to Chaz's side, who was ahead of her. He was like a soft breeze, in comparison to that often quarreling Esper kids.

"Troublesome?", Chaz asked her, when she got next to him.

"A bit… A bit lost, and a bit overwhelmed by the different people here", she explained, with a shy smile on her face. "Thanks for looking after me, Chaz"

She had said his name in such a cute way, that Chaz felt almost in Heaven with that strange newcomer.

"Hey, look over there!", Gryz exclaimed, excited. He had been walking ahead of the group and was now peeping at a dark corridor. "There's two people kissing over there, in the shadows…"

"Could it be Alys and Rune?", Chaz asked, also excited. "Those two sure have some sexual tension between them"

"I have to agree, even if I don't like Rune, even if he's an Esper like me", Kyra said, disgusted.

"Who's that disgusting?", a familiar voice asked behind her.

Kyra shivered, as she knew it was Rune who was behind her. And even if she desliked him, she knew he was rather powerful, and respected him for that.

"I was talking about Hans!", she protested as she turned back, only to find Rune frowning at her, and Alys covering her laughter with her hand.

"Come on, I love when you use me as your scapegoat", Hans mumbled, annoyed.

"So, if you are here, who are those?", Rika asked, curiously.

"Just what are you doing?", Alys asked, entertained with the entire subject.

"Well… I spotted a couple kissing, and I thought it could be you", Gryz explained, embarrassed. "Now, we don't know who it could be"

Alys stared at Rune and started laughing. "So you are still thinking that we are a non-cleared couple?", she asked, between her laughter. "No, guys, you are wrong. He's just an old friend, nothing could happen between us… or am I wrong, Rune?", she said, staring piercingly at him.

Under her apparently entertained appearance, a hurt girl was waiting for a real answer.

Rune hated Alys for that kind of attitude. He had already explained how things really were. Well, not completely. Still, they remained as friends. But he couldn't tell how much longer they would remain like that, if she kept on attacking him at every moment she had.

"That's right. We are friends since kindergarten… well, we had a time when I wasn't around, but we are still friends… and nothing more"

Alys smiled. "See?", she asked, naturally. "If I were to date him, I would feel like dating my own brother, if I had one."

But that wasn't how she really felt.

"And that's wrong, right guys?", she continued, giggling. "So… will you stop thinking that we are going out in secret?" Her friendly voice turned into a menacing one.

"Alright, you two weren't kissing… so who are the ones that are kissing each other with such a passion over there?", Kyra asked, tired. She was eager to know.

"Kyra, you'll get me in trouble again, won't you?", Hans mumbled, worried. He was sure that his fellow Esper companion would put them all in a tough situation… much like she always did.

"Hey, it's not nice to keep on watching. It would be like opening people's cabinets", Chaz protested.

Rika giggled at his statement. "How considerate"

"More than consideration, it's thanks to Alys yelling at me that I learnt that", Chaz admitted, embarrassed, rubbing his neck violently, as his cheeks turned red. "I used to be attracted to cabinets and other people's belongings like a magnet"

"Oh, I see…"

"Whatever… a glimpse won't hurt, would it?", the short, blue-haired Esper girl said, anxiously. "I'll try to get a better look", she said, walking slowly and carefully towards the couple.

"It's just incredible that they go on kissing like that, with all the fuss that we are making right next to them", Gryz chuckled.

"They must be in an almost out-of-this-world experience to not hear us"

"Come on, let's try to get a better look!", Kyra insisted

"Couldn't we leave whoever they are alone? We'll come to know, eventually", Rune protested.

"Oh, stay behind, if you don't like it!", the younger female Esper scolded him, irritated. "Nobody called you!"

"That brat…!"

Alys chuckled. "Hey, calm down… she's irreverent, just like you, but at another level. You don't have to respond on her behalf if she's caught. She can look after herself really well"

She was always there, Alys, ready to set up the differences between the Esper students. As tough as she was, she had a huge heart, and a motherly instinct that she had to do great efforts to hide.

While Rune tried to calm himself down with Alys' help, Kyra and Gryz tried to get a better look at the unaware-of-being-watched couple, with such bad luck that they ended up falling onto the ground, after putting the balance of their bodies too ahead of them. The fall call the loving couple back to reality, and rushed to their aid, under Kyra's uncountrolable laughter. "My, my… if it isn't Hahn… and the kindergarten teacher, Saya"

Saya looked down, embarrassed, hiding her hands in the multi-colored pocket of her teaching apron. Hahn rubbed the back of his neck, as if he was about to knock it off from his shoulders.

Gryz got up and helped Kyra to stand up, whose belly was about to explode. "Hey, who would have said it? You sure had this quite well hidden!"

"She's right… I didn't know you were after her", Alys said, friendly.

"Nice price you got yourself, champ!", Rune patted Hahn's shoulders, a bit enviously.

"Just what are you doing here?!", Hahn finally cried, shocked.

"So you are dating Saya?", Gryz asked, surprised. "What a lucky guy"

"You were so absent-minded, you never noticed that we were right next to you, even if we made such a scandal!"

"Hey, don't walk around with all your jewelry in front of the poor ones", Alys teased the embarrassed couple.

"Hey, Hahn, I think I'll use this in my advantage!", Kyra clapped enthusiastically. "I have a couple of absences… could you gently erase them from my log?"

"Kyra, that's blackmail!", an embarrassed Hans objected.

"No, blackmail would be asking you 500 Meseta to keep our mouths shut", Alys said, smirking

Kyra clapped once again. "That's the way, Alys!"

"Alys, you must be crazy!", Rune yelled, surprised.

"That's like a quarter of my monthly wedding fund", Hahn cried, nervously.

"Hey, I never thought you would consider paying us!", Alys exclaimed, laughing. "I can set you up a plan of payment, then…"

"Alys!"

"Hell, Rune, you are no fun", she complained, sighing. "I could have been able to buy some necessary things…"

"Like a dress, uh?", he asked, sarcastically. "You would have ended up at the Guild's bar, drinking like if there was no tomorrow"

"Oh, look who's talking!", she charged towards him, annoyed. "Who do you think you are to talk about me like that! As if I didn't own a pair of dresses! Only because you haven't seen me dressed up doesn't mean that I don't have a feminine side! Wait to the prom, and then you'll see how much of a lady I can be if I want to!"

"Surely, you'll be elected Queen… and I'll end up drinking bitterly with the PaoPao girls, right? Isn't that what you mean?"

Rika approached Chaz silently. "What's a 'prom'?"

"Oh, she's making reference to the Prom Ball, where graduate students attend, all dressed up in gowns and suits… and have dates. It's at the end of the year, but I never thought that Alys would toss that idea to Rune, and less in this way"

"Are you sure these two aren't already dating?", Kyra joined the chat, curiously. "They seemed married to me"

"There's love in the air", Saya stated, and she knew what she was talking about.

"No, there's blackmail, honey", Hahn corrected her, still hurt at the blackmail attempt from his students.

"That's already old history, honey, don't let them remember that and let's get out of here!", she proposed him, giggling.

"Hell, you are right, darling… let's get away right now!", he said, grabbing her hand and running along the corridor. "Now that they are distracted!"

"Hey, I understood that we had to hide while kissing, but why do we have to run away from your students, now that the blackmailing is over?"

"Better take advantage of the situation, rather than staying to see if what's to come is better or not", he shrugged. "Now, walk faster, if you don't want to run, but I have to loose them!"

"Hey! They are leaving!", Gryz warned the others, but it was already too late to try to catch the runaway couple.

"Oh, we wouldn't have been able to get a cent from them… what a shame!", Kyra complained, and hit Hans' arm, who shouted at that.

"And what's wrong with me now? I haven't said anything!"

"Just because I needed to let go my disappointment!"

"Great, it's lovely to be your cushion"

Meanwhile, Alys and Rune kept on arguing, saying to themselves all those things they had been keeping in their minds about each other. It seemed it would be a neverending deal, but Alys decided to finally cut it out, in her own way.

"Oh, Goodness! I need something to drink… or some fresh air, whatever I can get here first!", she turned back and left the corridor, enraged.

"Alys, stop! Don't be so childish!", the blue haired Esper boy protested, but the brown haired girl ignored him and went on walking out of his sight. "Alright, do what you want!"

"As if she needed your blessing", Kyra mumbled, enthusiastically. She dreamt of facing that guy the way Alys had just done.

Rune was already annoyed at Alys to pay attention to Kyra's hateful comments, so he decided to follow his classmate. He hated to be left behind when he had something to say, and he almost always had to have the final word. Alys great outing had just defied everything in his order. If he caught her, he would be able to tell her a thing or two before class started… maybe even telling her an attempt of apology, if his pride would let him.

The rest of the group started following Rune, so they wouldn't lose any detail in their argument.

Alys got into the school ground, only to find Zio menacing a group of first year students, in his way to become students' representative at the School Council. Why would he want that position was a question she couldn't answer, considering his hideous nature. Maybe it was the feeling of having some kind of power in his hands what led him to postule himself for that place.

"Zio, stop messing around with those students, I've already told you not to mess with them anymore!", Alys exclaimed furiously, getting into the youngsters' group and Zio.

"Oh, the Alys-hen came to the rescue of the little chickens", Zio teased her, ironically. "Babysitting time's over, Alys, so move out if you don't want to get hurt", he warned her, coldly.

"Would you really fight with a girl? How manly", she replied, sarcastically.

"Since you are in the Hunter's Guild, you aren't really a girl, but a Hunter, and they are genderless for the fight. Or do you just take comissions that involve girl villains?"

Great. Another jerk that couldn't see her as a woman, but as a genderless warrior. "This isn't the Guild. This is school, and I'm a girl here. Not that I'm scared of you, for your knowledge", she said, seriously. "Whatever, stop playing the tough guy with the youngsters. Shesss, when will you grow up?"

"Alys, just stop getting between them!", Rune shouted to her, in haste. "I don't think it's a good idea this time!"

His heart bumped quickly and anxiously. He knew something bad was about to happen, and he couldn't prevent it.  
Rika stared at him, surprised. "Do you sense something wrong's about to happen, too?"

Rune stared surprised at her. "Yes… How is it that you can also sense it?"

"I don't know. I should ask Seed when I have the chance"

Alys stared at Rune, and smiled, but her smile was odd. It was as if she was both proud and saddenned at the same time. "Rune, I can take great care of myself. I don't need you to babysit me"

"But Alys…"

Alys turned back and ignored him, and kept on arguing with Zio. Soon, they started pushing each other. Alys lost her balance and fell backwards, hitting her head against a wall.

"Alys!", Chaz shouted, shocked.

Zio stood quietly in his place, staring at the fallen girl.

Rune rushed to her side and knelt down by her side. "Damn you, I told you!", he told her, worried, and it was then when he noticed that Alys was uncounscious. "I'll take Alys to the first aid room!", he said, picking the Hunter girl from the floor. He grabbed her gently, yet strongly, and carried her on his arms to the nurse's office, where a horrified Mito welcomed them.

Just as she had foreseen it, something bad had happened to her "little girl Alys".

/

Notes: I've tried to make a bad joke for Raja, but that's beyond my abilities, hahahaha


	4. Chapter 4: Sudden meeting

Chapter 4: Sudden school meeting

"What happened to Alys?", Rika asked to a depressed Chaz, who had just walked outside the nurse's room.

"She hit her head really badly, but we can't even tell against what!", the blonde boy whined, anxiously. "She was arguing with Zio and then she fall down, it wasn't that she fainted and hit her head directly against the ground"

Kyra grabbed Rika's shoulders gently, supportive. "Alys is a tough one, when we realize it, she'll be arguing with Rune again and kicking Zio's butt in the defenseless ones' behalf. It's just a matter of time"

Hans wanted to agree, but either his Esper powers weren't that great, or Kyra was just being over-positive, because he couldn't sense any of those things. But he wouldn't contradict Kyra in a moment like this, so he just kept silent.

Inside the first aid-room, Rune kept on staring at his unconscious friend, frowning. He couldn't tell what it was, but something was wrong with Alys and her fall. There was no reaction. Not even the advanced healing techniques –Rika crying that even Gires was useless pierced his mind like a whip- seemed to make an effect on her.

Mito whined while trying to think about something that could be helpful for the girl, but couldn't come up with anything. She had known that something bad was about to happen to her, but couldn't find a way to prevent it. She knew that Alys would have jumped off the window if she happened to trap her inside the infirmary.

Rune caught a glimpse from afar of the sleeping student, and couldn't help but remember someone else, with a similar name, who had lived long, long ago…

Only that Alys didn't look so peaceful.

He had to do something about it, and he wasn't going to wait for her to open her eyes.

Besides… he could swear he had seen some Black Wave coming from Zio's hand when he pushed Alys off from him.

That only meant that something bigger and evil was involved.

"This can't go on like this!", Rune yelled, hopeless. "I'll go and see the Principal! Someone has to stop Zio!"

"If you are going, I'm going, too!", Chaz said, determined. "Alys' like my big sister at this time, so I can't stay here doing nothing in her behalf"

"You'll be nothing but trouble, pipsqueak, stay behind!"

"Oh, because you've been too helpful, haven't you? You could have prevented her current state, if you were the least useful!"

"Chaz's right! We have to go, all of us!", Kyra yelled, enthusiastically.

"Kyra, that's too dangerous!", Hans protested, following her.

"Then, why are you coming?", the tomboy asked him, laughing.

Hans sighed, and kept on walking behind her. "Wherever you go, I'll be right there… someone has to protect you from yourself"

Kyra sighed, and followed the group.

/

The Principal's secretary tried to stop Rune from getting into her boss' office unannounced, but she couldn't do much against the enraged teenager and his over-excited companions, so she just moved away quickly.

Inside the Principal's Office, the Principal was having a meeting with Zio and a strange looking guy, clad in odd robes. The stranger took a breath when he saw Rune, and let go a curse, annoyed.

"Rune Walsh, what are you doing in my office, without any prior appointment, and, most importantly, without waiting for my approval to get in?", the Principal managed to say, out of his shock, and buying himself some more time to see how he would deal with the situation.

"I was going to ask you why Zio can do whatever he pleases in this place, but now it looks obvious that he's the one in charge, rather than you"

"Watch out your words, young man!"

"Am I really wrong, by chance?", Rune demanded, annoy. "This gothic-looking boy has you under his finger, and I'll find out why!"

"That's none of your business!"

"It is, since he happened to hurt a fellow student!", Rune yelled back. "I can't sit around until he finishes everyone off in this place!"

"That won't happen, thanks for your concern", the Principal tried to implement some authority, with little effect. "Now, if you and your friends could leave…"

"Not until I have an answer… not until you tell me how to heal Alys"

The figure in the shadows smirked. It was then when everyone took a better look at the stranger in the room.

"It looks like you can't deal with healing magic this time, Lutz!", the king cladded figure said, finding the irony funny.

It's incredible how one word can change someone's world.

For Rune, it was the end of his calm days in incognito.

For Kyra and Hans, their childhood got smashed into pieces.

And it would also trouble the rest, but they still were unaware of that.

Since they still didn't know well what being a Lutz meant.

"Lutz?", Kyra asked, astonished. "That's a joke, really?"

"Crap, I got found out", cursed Rune.

The Principal looked down, embarrassed.

Zio and the ancient King waited for Rune to act, almighty.

"Kyra, Hans, Shorty and everyone else", Rune said, seriously. "Wait for me outside"

"But you…"

"I'll go right away, I tell you!"

The disappointment in Kyra's eyes was too much to handle, and Rune looked down, as she walked past him.

Soon, they were all outside, and the door closed behind their backs.

"So… it has to be King Lashiec, I assume?", Rune asked, once his companions left him alone. "I don't know if I should welcome you or not… acknowledge you or not?"

Zio and the Principal stared at Rune with awe. Not only they were surprised that Lashiec seemed to know who he was, they were also troubled about what that Lutz thing meant, because all the Esper kids were too shocked at that revelation. Apparently, Zio wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

"Nah, nevermind… finding you at school is quite quaint… had you forgotten about your magic, then?"

"Don't threaten me that my memory's great on that"

Lashiec smirked.

"What troubles me most is that I still don't know how you did to awaken again…"

The old king of yore made another smirk, and pointed with his head to Zio.

"You may remember that his father, Seth, is a somewhat reknown Archeologist…", the Principal explained, but an embarrassed Zio interrupted him.

"Alright, it's as he said, I was lending a hand to my old man. I was in the outskirts, found a strange thing, which ended up being this dead man's coffin… and it got to my hand, you see?", Zio said, throwing away his black glove.

An ugly, deteriorated hand could be seen where the young man's healthy hand was supposed to be.

"This is strange, Lashiec's tomb shouldn't have been in Palma?", Rune asked.

"Well, that, we don't know… maybe it really was in Palma, and some time before its explosion, it had been taken to another place. Maybe it got to Motavia centuries after his dead"

"I wouldn't know myself, I've been inside that thing, so I don't know what happened to it until that boy over there opened the lid."

"Seems that the fresh air, and some other kind of interaction, was enough to revive him"

Rune sighed. "Alright, I know how he got to breath again… now, we have to keep him away from doing so"

"How nice of you", the mentioned man said, irritated.

"I think that, based on some old, mythological readings, Lashiec has to be killed if we want to cure Zio's hand… and save Miss Brangwin, for the Light's sake!", the Principal cried.

"How comfortable for me, that I had just gotten up from this slumber", Lashiec mocked them. "Who wrote those papers? The Landale brat? That'd be obvious!"

"Who's that Landale brat?", Zio asked.

"Queen Alis Landale, the Heroine of Yore"

"That's just a tall tale"

"I wouldn't be so sure, having Lashiec standing in front of us… revived by your own hands", Rune stated, sharply.

Zio sighed, annoyed and defeated. After all, everything had been his fault.

"Well, so that leaves only one possible answer", the Principal said.

"If I allow it!", Lashiec roared, irritated. "You won't be able to defeat me so easily this time, Lutz!"

He run and jumped through the window.

Everyone knew that it was highly unlikely that the undead entity had been hurt by that jump and landing.

"Alright… as I was saying… there's only one way left. And you'll have to help each other if you don't want that guy to defeat you. You would loose your hand, Zio, and Miss Brangwin would loose her life -just in case you wouldn't remember, I don't think it's necessary to say it-, if you don't get that guy down", the Principal stated, firmly.

He was dead worried for his students and for the outcome of things… Who knew what could befall his beloved Academy?

Zio sighed once more. He had no other choice but to help that stupid guy.

Rune mumbled some Esper cursings, taking advantage that no one could decipher his mumbling.

Once more, the fate of Algo –as well as Alys' life- was on his hands.

/

Outside the Principal's Office, the two younger Espers were trying to recover from their shock, but nothing could help them. Once Rune stepped into the corridor, the cries became stronger.

"You just can't be Lutz!", Kyra yelled, desperate.

"She's right... you are nowhere close to the image we all had of Lutz since kindergarten!", Hans stated, astonished. "But I respect you, all the way"

"Oh, shut up! You always want to sound nice to the superiors!", Kyra protested while she punched the Esper boy on his arm. "This caaaaan't beeeeeee!",

"Hey, we'll have to deal with it. He's the boss. Period", Hans protested, rubbing his hurt arm.

"Not so many seconds ago you also looked depressed at the idea of him being the boss… you cheater!", she cried, even stronger. "You always want to be on their side!"

Rune sighed. He didn't know how to handle with their disappointment, after they got, involuntarily, their image of Lutz shattered in millions of pieces.

That was the reason why it was a secret back at the Esper Mansion.

He couldn't nor wouldn't be able to deal with all those people's shattered dreams.

Now, the entire school would learnt about him, and he would have to do some useless explaining.

But what was more troublesome was dealing with those two disappointed youths. He knew they wouldn't repeat it at the Mansion, because they wouldn't want to disappoint anyone as much as they did.

"Kyra and Hans, Hans and Kyra", he started saying, trying to buy some time. "I'm sorry I'm not even close to being comparable to the real Master Lutz. I'm working hard on it, but I'm also a cocky teenager who can't deal with his ego and his teen problems… I hope I will find you two sometime in the future, and that you can look at me proudly, not because of me, but because of my actions, that would start slowly to resemble the one's of the Great One…"

"If we don't hurry, you won't see that future, Rune", Rika interrupted him, noticing something in the air that was troubling her. "Or any future"

Rune nodded. He knew it wasn't the best moment to do a speech, but he had to calm them down, somehow.

"So, summing up… it's as stressful and shocking to you, as it had been to me, back in the day I've learnt I had this mission. It's not easy, I assure you. So… sorry for screwing it up greatly"

Hans smiled lightly; he was moved by the speech, and nodded, satisfied.

Kyra was still too angry to be able to recognize anything good coming from Rune's mouth, but she had to admit that those were some wise words, maybe Lutz had really possessed his body at that very moment.

"Forget it that I'll start calling you 'Master Lutz' and follow you like a puppy all day around!", Kyra finally protested.

"That's the last thing I would ever want, rest easy", Rune said, tired. "And Lutz wouldn't want that, either"

She sighed.

Hans embraced her, and finally, she let him do so.

Rune turned back to the rest of the group, and said, "Long story short, I'm the "current version" of an Esper hero, Lutz, who fought alongside the heroine Alis a long time ago… don't ask for the details right now, that we are short on time, right Rika?"

The numan girl nodded, still uneasy.

"But wasn't the entire Alis thing a tall tale?", Chaz asked, shyly.

"No, it wasn't!", Rune, Kyra, Hans, and much to his surprise, Rika, yelled at unison.

"If it wasn't nothing but a tale, then why would Alys wear such a name?", the young tomboy Esper asked.

"I don't know, it could have been to honor some dead relative?"

"There's records at home that prove the existence of the Heroine of Yore",

"If the 'entire Alis thing', as you call it, was just a story, then I wouldn't have those two" -he pointed at Hans and Kyra- "crying in uncontrollable disappointment because I don't match the image of a Lutz they had engraved in their minds since children"

"That's trueee!", Kyra kept on weeping, desolated.

"See?", Rune said, sighing. "She'll never recover from this shock… it's a blessing that the old folks at the Mansion had decided to keep this a secret from everyone else… they must have done it once, and failed miserably"

Kyra wept her last tears, and tried to calm herself by thinking in the good in Rune's previous speech –Lutz's doing, obviously-, and not in his latest teasing behavior –Rune's doing, without any trace of doubt-.

Chaz nodded, finally. "Alright. After whatever we have to do now, I think you'll have to tell me the old stories so I can get a glimpse about who we are talking about. It's like a novel I haven't read"

"That means you fall asleep on History?"

"At that moment, I studied the timeline, and it was just another name on the line to remember, sorry", Chaz shrugged, begging for forgiveness.

Rune sighed, hoping that wouldn't take that much from his free time.

"Well, we'll have to leave our differences aside, if we want to help Alis…", Rune began saying.

"Alys", Kyra corrected him.

"Alys…", Rune mumbled, nervously. It was quite troublesome to have two dear people in trouble sharing the same name.

Because, if he let Lashiec gain power, even Alis would be in trouble.

"So, what do we have to do?", Chaz asked, excited.

"We'll have to defeat the old King"

"Come again?"

"We'll have to defeat the King prior to Alis I in your bloody timeline, if we want to help Alys and save the day"

Chaz stared at Rune, even more surprised than before. "You are trying to say that someone revived an old, already dead King?"

"Zio did", Rune said. "And if we want to stop people from falling into odd dreamy states, like Alys, we have to come up with a plan to defeat him"

Kyra cracked her fingers. That was interesting. Not only there would be a fight, but another legendary figure was involved. That would be a blast, for sure!

Hans sighed at her obvious enthusiasm.

"And how do you think we can do that?", Chaz asked, concerned. "As far as I know, that thing is an undead thing, and we are High School students… even if we do practice some martial art or defensive technique, I don't think we stand a chance against him"

"We'll have to try, nonetheless", Rune insisted. "We don't have too many cards available in this case. And we have to make sure that he stays in eternal slumber"

Chaz sighed. There was no other way out from that mess.

He would try his best, even if his swing was too slow, as Alys always cried.

For her sake, he would do so.

/


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: To trap an evil King

Rune needed everyone to be suitable equipped, for he didn't know how hard and painful the battle with the once King of Algol would be.

"Alright… so, come with me, there's something I have to pick up at my locker", Rune said, already walking in his direction. "I suggest you pick whatever thing you can use as a weapon, or that you go quickly to your home or the Guild to pick it up, it will be really useful"

Chaz nodded, but kept on walking by his side. He had his sword at his locker, since he had training at the Guild in the evening. So, he just followed Rune, since his locker was in the same direction.

Once he got his sword, he returned to Rune's side, and waited for him to pick whatever he had in there.

Rune opened his tall locker, and after a small moment, took the element he had been looking for. With a bit of effort –it seemed to be a tall object the one he treasured there- he took a tall thing, covered in pieces of cloth. He started taking each piece carefully, and with each piece, more and more silver could be seen. He cleaned the object with each cloth, and when he was finished, he took a proud look at his Psycho Wand. The golden top of the Wand, with its blue stone, reflected the light that came through the window, all-mighty.

Chaz stared at him, impatient. For him, that long cane didn't mean much.

Kyra and Hans stared at the wand, starry-eyed

"It has to be the real thing", Kyra mumbled, excited.

"It has to be the legendary Psycho Wand"

"What's up with those two?", Chaz asked. "To me, it looks like a big cane"

"You outsider!", the blue haired girl protested. "It's a legendary Esper weapon the one standing right in front of us… It's the magic-infused weapon that our Lutz used to fight the evil King who got revived… a sign of magic passed down through time… and it had been here, right next to us, all along!"

"Oh, sorry… but can you stop calling me Outsider? I don't call you Snowmen, because you are from Dezoris, all the time!"

"Well, leave the differences for later, we have to be united in this", Rune smirked.

"He's right", Rika said, picking some claws from her backpack.

Chaz stared at her weapon. "I would have never thought that you considered us like enemies, that you brought those to school, just in case"

Rika blushed. "It wasn't for you! I brought them in case I had some trouble in the way back home!", she explained, quickly. "What if I find highwaymen… or if I loose my hat and have to expose my ears and someone tries to hurt me because of that?"

"You've got a point", the blonde boy said.

Kyra and Hans took a pair of slashers each one, from their cabinets.

Chaz stared at Hans a bit confused. For him, only women used Slashers.

"I know what you are thinking", Hans interrupted him. "But we Espers don't have much choice of weapons. It's a cane, or it's a slicer… It would be really cool if we could have Laser Swords, but it's not a reality, yet".

Chaz nodded.

"I'm the best when long rage combat is involved, in my category"

Kyra sighed. Apparently, being in touch with the current Lutz was slowly turning him into another conceited jerk.

"What? I think I could get a University scholarship if weapon throwing becomes a sport"

The blue haired girl rolled her eyes. "Alright, Dreamer, let's get going, or they'll leave us behind", she said, pushing him forward. "Besides, why don't you show your powress at the battlefield, rather than outside of it?"

"Alright! Let's find the bad guy and I'll show you!", he exclaimed, entertained.

"Alright, let's stay together and search in any room in this school", Rune proposed. "It's not really big, and if we split, we can get in a dangerous situation than if we take more time for exploring all together, rather than having to lament it later"

Chaz would have wanted to split in groups, but he wasn't going to contradict Rune this time, since he seemed to be really knowledgeable about the thing they were about to face.

"Well, let's go, and let's find Lashiec quickly", Rune commanded. "The sooner we defeat him, the sooner Alys will recover, and this mess will be cleaned up"

The group moved as one, searching in every classroom, while some other students took advantage of the reigning mess and decided to skip the remaining classes. They were the ones going against the current of leaving students.

After some moments, they heard a strange noise, like the beaming of light, that came from afar.

"It's not from inside the building", Rune said. "It's too weak for that"

"Then, could it be from the gymnasium?", Kyra proposed.

"Well thought, let's take a peek there"

It was true. As soon as they got closer to the gym, the noises became louder and louder. Beams of light were seen.

"It must be Zio there, with that thing", Hans said.

They rushed to the gym, and, effectively, the battle had already started.

Zio, Juza, and a bunch of their underlings were trying to attack Lashiec, but this one managed to evade most of their attacks.

Chaz and Rika were open-mouthed, amazed with what they were seeing. It was so strange and exciting!

Rune sighed. It was obvious that he was needed in that place.

Kyra took her slicer. It was clear that they needed help. Besides, it would be a great thing to see the current Lutz deal with that guy. So, she would have to be prepared to fight the bad guy, and take a big look at Rune, at the same time.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen… I think we are ready", Rune said. "Don't go easy on him, or we won't be able to help Alys"

Everyone nodded.

"Oh, so you finally arrived, Lutz?", Lashiec wondered, while he watched his casted spell fly towards Zio and Juza's group. "I thought you had chicken-up"

"I'm afraid that won't happen, Mr", he said, his weight resting on the Psycho Wand.

"Wow, I recall that nifty cane of yours… you don't have a talking cat this time, or does that girl with the strange ears take its place?"

Rika glared at her. There was a big difference between a musk cat and a numan, and she wasn't going to let anyone mistreat her so much on her first day at school. Not even a suppossed-to-be-dead-long-ago character.

"And that Shorty guy there's supposed to be Odin?", Lashiec went on with the teasing.

"Oh, come on!", Chaz protested. "Do you all millennial-involved people match in their choice of my nickname? First it was Rune, now this one!"

"Sorry, Shorty, I've never thought we would match in this one"

"Whatever!"

"And for the Heroine… we have a tomboy and her shadow? Or is it the Heroine and her brother, who thought he could go against me?"

Rune closed his eyes, cursing. Lashiec had a point, there. He hadn't even imagined it.

But if that fiend was looking for lookalikes, Alys took a better part at resembling Alis… even their names were so dangerously intertwined.

"Enough, Lashiec!", Rune yelled. "Let's settle this, and eradicate you from this land of Algol for once and for all!"

"Alright, kids, keep your tears for later!", he said, casting his first spell on the new group.

A rain of lightening struck them, and it was soon followed by a crumbling floor.

Lashiec laughed at the surprised students.

"Let's see what you can do, Lutzie", he teased. "Oopsiee"

Rune glared at him. He wasn't going to tolerate that.

Before Rune could realize, Kyra's slasher was already on its way against Lashiec. His flowing cape took the damage, but it was a good, promising start.

"Don't mess with our Esper Hero!", she yelled, enraged. "He may be an idiot at the present, but he's still Lutz, you know!"

Rune didn't know how to feel with that kind of defense towards her beloved leader.

He would deal with that later, first, he had to attack.

Hans was a good slasher-user, thing that surprised Kyra. She hadn't seen him before because the girls' group trained in a different moment, and so, she had thought that he used canes in battle.

"Wow, that was nice!", she said, surprised.

"Thought I was a good for nothing? That I was just bragging around, before we came here?", he winked at her, proudly.

She rolled her eyes and casted Flaeli on Lashiec.

Rika took the part of healer of the party, before anyone could realize, she was already casting healing techniques on everyone around. Besides, she was too quick and agile, quite like a cat.

Chaz wondered if she had some cat-like genes on her, but considered it wouldn't be wise nor gentle to ask about it.

"I think I know what you are wondering!", Rika protested, her claws raised menacingly.

"I was wondering how it is that you are already set to battle, without any room to doubt", he asked the other thing that was troubling him.

"Oh, I thought you were wondering some other thing…", she said, embarrassed. "Seed considered it would be wise to train myself, in case I needed to defend myself. I never thought I would use it on my first day of school, though"

"That Seed must be a pretty cool guy", Chaz said, Crosscutting their enemy.

"Indeed, he is", Rika smiled proudly, ready to charge.

Rune kept on attacking, either with his Psycho Wand, or by using his magic. He dodged Lashiec's attacks rather well.

After a while, he couldn't tell well where he was. For a moment, it was clear that he was at the school's gym. For some others, it looked like a dimly lit, old room in an ancient Castle.

He focused on Lashiec. He seemed to change from the corpse-like being he had seen not so long ago, into a thin, still alive and skinned person. When he saw him like he should have been 2000 years ago, he noticed that the it was at the same moment when the room seemed to be that one of an old Castle.

He took a few steps backwards, shaking his head.

It didn't took him much to realize that his reality, his present moment was colliding with the memories of Lutz, the first one who had battled against Lashiec, alongside the Heroine and her two other companions.

He stared at his sides, and instead of seeing High School students, he could easily recognize Odin and Myau by his side.

"Come on, don't stay there, looking at us as if you have seen a ghost!", Alis, the Heroine herself, shouted at him, smiling under all that mess of magic beams and weapons clashing.

He panted, caught by surprise. He looked down, and realized that he wasn't wearing his High-school uniform, but a white mantle over a light blue tunic.

He breathed with some difficulty.

Another part of the memories of Lutz told him to rest easy, that stuff like that used to happen, until he could dominate the memories better.

He was starting to wonder if he wasn't the right man for that job, but the same voice told him to relax, that it had been everything so sudden to him that he couldn't really assimilate that great source of power, responsibility and memories.

A blow hit him hard, and he found the present, corpse-like Lashiec laughing maniacally at him.

It was then when he understood that he would have to manage the memories in a way that could aid him, recovering its teachings, and not in a way that paralyzed him.

He made a small prayer, asking Lutz to protect him, and faced the battle with another disposition.

/

Alys had to bribe Mito to be able to take a glimpse at the battle… almost literally. She had to increase a bit her crying and moaning, but, eventually, she managed to convince the old woman to help her.

They had walked slowly through the corridors, and no one noticed them, either because they were in class, or busy to face that strange man that had jumped off from the Principal's office window.

She needed to see with her eyes what was going on, even if she was still too weak, and felt some strange cringing from her insides.

It was too surreal what she saw.

The old man was alone, defending himself from a range of attacks from different sides. On one side, were Zio and Juza, attacking madly, one technique after the other.

On the other side, Rune was taking the lead, and had Chaz, Kyra and Hans by his side. Wait, Rika, the new girl, was there, too! What a blast it had to be, to get a fight the first day you put a foot on Palmanian society… she was a bit fearful that the pink-haired girl decided to stay with her tutor for ever and ever after this. But on a second glance, she seemed to enjoy it.

Chaz's swing wasn't that bad, but there was no way on Algoll she would recognize it. She would make him practice harder when she recovered.

Because she knew she was going to recover, once they got rid of that strange being that was attacking everyone and everything that got in his line of sight.

She was certain of it. Things couldn't end that way for her.

There were still so many things to do… Chaz's training, for instance. She couldn't leave that swing in that state. She had to improve the number of cases she took, if she wanted to be recognized as the best rookie of the year…

She needed to take a look at whatever made Rune walk away from her love life. That was also bugging her.

She sighed at the sight of the light blue-haired boy, wielding that silver wand she had once seen hidden in his locker.

He was strong, indeed.

His magic was something out of the ordinary. Because it had to be magic, right? No one around this place had such fanciful and powerful techniques…

No one around could dominate techniques like that. He had the alibi to cover it up that he came from another planet, but that wasn't enough to explain how he managed to convey the power he had within.

The wind caused by his magic moved her hair, as if it had been a real, natural breeze. It was just like the real thing.

A small tear wanted to fall from her eyes, but she blinked quickly, eager to make it disappear. But the heavy feelings wouldn't walk away.

So, the rumors had to be true… he was no commoner… all that strange gossip that had been whispered when he left it, proved to be true…

That had to be why he left the Guild… and her.

"Darling, I think you've had enough!", Mito told her, caringly.

Yes, she had had enough.

She now knew well why Rune wouldn't want to go out with her anymore.

She also knew that they would be able to defeat that puppetish man who was counter-atacking them.

She felt slightly better.

"Yes, Mito… can you help me, once more?"

The old nurse smiled, and lent Alys her shoulder.

Slowly, she returned to the infirmary, wishing that Rune and the others could defeat that thing, sooner than later.

Meanwhile, Rune could have sworn he had seen Alys behind, with Mito next to her, but when he turned back to get a better look, he didn't find anyone there. Only his student-comrades.

He shook his head, and went on attacking the old man that had dare to blow up his cover-up in no time.

It was quaint, how History repeated itself… The real Lutz had battled against the real, still alive King Lashiec, when he was just a Magician in training, much like himself, who was still a high-school student.

He wondered if with the previous incarnations of Lutz would have happened but the same, but he knew that it hadn't, because he would have those memories in his mind, and there was none about it.

It was so odd that that had happened… maybe the fact that there was a planet missing from the system could explain it. But he didn't know for sure. Maybe, a thousand of years ago, Darkness' idea was to blow planets up. Maybe this year it just wanted to revive important evil people of yore.

Beams of magic and light crossed across the sky, it was a tremendous sight.

The sound of weapons clashing against shields or armor filled the space.

The old King proved to be a good opponent, but he was running out of breath.

Soon, it would be over for him, once more.

"I can't believe this…", Lashiec cried, with the last bit of his forces. "Even as a high-school student you manage to defeat me, Lutz…! But I'll remember this when I'll wake again, and I'll crush your kin! Because, if I got revived once, it can happen once more! He'll revive me for his own sake! He must…"

The ancient King started melting, dissolving into uncountable little shards. In a matter of seconds, nothing was left of the once King of Algol.

The group stayed silent for a while, while recovering from their fight, trying to recover a normal breathing. They had seen many strange things, and battled the remaining of a piece of Algolian History. Anyone would have been too excited after that.

A few meters away from them, Zio's party was also trying to recover, unable to believe their eyes, after the melting of the odd figure.

"We defeated it?", Juza asked, excited.

"No, they did", Zio had to admit, enraged. "Come on, let's go and see the Principal, and take the credit for this, before they do it"

"They'll go, nonetheless"

"I know, Stupid… but I want to get a few minutes ahead of them", Zio protested, sneaking away swiftly.

Rune noticed them leaving. He knew where they were going, but he also wanted to know how Alys was doing. On the other hand, maybe the vanishing of the Black Energy Wave wasn't instantaneous.

If it ever went away.

He shook his head. Lutz would have told him if that had been the case.

He had to trust in Alys, in his faith, and in everyone else. He would try it.

"I'll go and meet the Principal", Rune finally said.

"I'll take a look at Alys!", Chaz said. "Rika, come with me!", he said, grabbing the new girl's hand tightly, rushing towards the Infirmary.

"Chaz, don't get nervous if she's still weak. We don't know if the effect vanishes at once or not!", Rune shouted at him, but the blonde guy was already out of reach.

"We'll tell him", Kyra said, grabbing Hans by the arm.

"I wanted to go with Lutz... I mean, Rune"

"No, you won't. You'll come with me"

"You are no fun!"

"And you are a pathetic fanboy!"

Chaz rushed to the infirmary, with all his companions chasing after him. He begged Mito to let him know about Alys' condition. Since it wasn't bad, he begged her to let them in. The old woman told him to stay quiet and visit her while she went looking for something.

As soon as Mito left, Chaz bursted into the infirmary, eager to see Alys recovered. However, he found her expressionless body lying over the white bed.

"Alyyyyyssss!", Chaz cried.

"Chaz, Rune thought that maybe the effect of the Black Energy Wave didn't disappear at once… Maybe she's just asleep"

"She's too rigid to be asleep… ", he complained, moving her hand. Since she didn't move, he took her hand and let it fall over the bed. Nothing happened, just a strong sound when her hand collided with the mattress. "Alyyyyssss!"

He started crying, his head laying next to her hand.

It was then, when her hand moved quickly and hit him on the back of his head.

"Gotcha!", the older Huntress said, with a mischievous look in her tired eyes.

"Alys!" He was too happy that she was alive, that he didn't want to think about her playful nature in such a tiring situation like that one.

"I'm still here", she smirked. "I still feel too weak, but I feel different than before… as if I were lighter, no matter what"

Everyone smiled at her, feeling proud and relieved.

Before she could start moving her eyes around, Kyra tried to calm her down. "He's not here"

"Who?"

"Rune's at the Principal's office, he'll come as soon as he finishes his business there", she said, with a wink.

Alys blushed. She felt too weak to repress that. "Thanks"

"You are welcome"

Chaz was still too surprised. He had never seen Alys behaving like a normal schoolgirl. For him, she had always been the powerful older student who happened to train him at the Hunters Guild, but he came up with the idea that Alys was immune to any kind of romantic trouble.

He couldn't have been more wrong, and she had decided to prove it to him right at that moment.

"I can't believe that guy is Lutz", Kyra went on whinning, still unable to recover from that foundation-shacking shock.

"He's a what?", Alys asked, weakly.

Her fears were slowly becoming true. She had been fearing that answer when she saw him at the battle, but she was just praying that he was using some basic magic, that looked fancy to all those who were used to techniques.

"Lutz was the greatest Esper ever alive", Hans started explaining. "He had fighted alongside Alis, the ancient Heroine, and thought that he was still alive from that time… but things turned up to be a bit different"

"So Rune…", she mumbled, but didn't want to keep on thinking about it. She was still too weak.

"That explains why he was absent for a while, don't you think?", Kyra asked Hans.

"You are right about it…"

Mito came into the room, and frowned when she saw it crowded. "Kids, she's recovering from that Evil Energy thing, she needs air to recover!"

Alys laughed lightly, while everyone else rushed and waved her goodbye in haste.

"Well… you should take a nap, and I think you'll be as good as new", Mito said, smiling. "I think that now that the source of Evil Energy is gone, you'll be feeling better and better"

"Do you really think so?", Alys wondered, a bit fearful that she wouldn't wake up again.

"Of course you will! Trust me, little one!", she said, excited. "I'll wake you up when Rune comes, I know that you have to deal one or two things with him"

Alys chuckled. Or she was an open book, or Mito's sixth sense was really sharp. "Alright, I'll sleep, then"

"That's great, little one"

In no time, Alys fall asleep, and Mito returned to her post, ready to fulfill her small promise.

/

Rune got to the Principal's office, and noticed how Zio took the initiative first.

The Principal nodded and smiled at him. "Congratulations, Rune, on this job well done. Congratulate your comrades on my behalf."

"Thanks. I think they deserve to hear it from your mouth, though"

"Alright, I'll take it into account"

Rune stared at Zio, sort of hiding behind the Principal's back.

"Well, well, thanks to you two, the legendary but evil King Lashiec could be defeated, and his power is supposed to be vanishing from this land", the Principal said, excited. "Talking about his power… how's your hand doing, Zio?"

The raven haired student took his black glove out and took a look. His darkened hand was slowly starting to look less deformed, and whiter than before.

"See? It's slowly vanishing", the Principal said, satisfied. "I would dare to say that Miss Brangwin's condition should be better by now… I'll call our school nurse, Mito, to get a quick report"

He took the phone and dialed the infirmary's direct number. After a few moments, he hang up, satisfied.

"Well, Zio, you will have to thank Mr Walsh here for being an Esper and be able to deal with Lashiec, because Alys is also recovering slowly. Otherwise, if the outcome had been for the worse, you would have suffered the consequences"

Zio glared at Rune, even if he knew he had to be grateful for his cooperation. Or was it that he cooperated with Rune? Because he wouldn't have been able to do anything against Lashiec on his own.

"Well, I won't expect you to become best friends after this, don't worry", the Principal sighed, irritated.

"But why did Lashiec got revived?", Juza, who had managed to sneak into the Principal's room behind Zio, asked.

The Principal cleared his throat. "My theory is that, for some unknown reason, someone moved Lashiec's corpse from his original grave on Palma, before the planet exploded. Maybe someone at a Museum, or some mad, power-seeking group, we can't know for sure. It must have stayed there for over a millennia, until Zio accidentally found it in his father's excavation site. I'll have to talk to Seth about all this!"

"But why did it got revived?", Juza insisted. "No other corpse in the planet got revived"

"That's the most hypothetical part. I think it could be the fresh air, in contact with the old flesh, and some magic infused on that body could have done the job. Remember that this guy could control real magic"

"Or the seal weakened because of Palma's disappearance, and that guy managed to get revived by Darkness", Rune thought.

Juza nodded. He wasn't satisfied, but there was no other possible explanation available, so that would have to do it.

"So, I think you and your father will have to be cautious in next excavations, and I'll tell the other archeology groups to do the same", the Principal stated, facing Zio. Then, he faced Rune. "As for you, I think the best would be to say that you are a high-leveled Esper, member of an elite level known as "Lutz", but that it has nothing with the ancient figure… is that okay with you?"

Rune considered that the Principal's offer was a real good one. He didn't want to deny his Esper heritage, but he also didn't want everyone to know the truth behind Lutz, or no one would respect His image. Besides, that could be troublesome for the development of a normal school life, but not only for him, but for everyone around. The Principal wouldn't want to deal with students skipping classes to meet the "current version" of an already dead man, or to deal with excited fangirls that would stay at the area around his locker. He was grateful to the Principal for coming up with something that would allow him to finish the school year without many complications. He already knew he would have plenty of trouble to recuperate Kyra and Hans from his shock.

"I think it's a great idea, thank you", he finally said, nodding.

The Principal smiled proudly. "Well, since all's over for now… I guess we can all leave sooner, today has been quite a memory for our grandchildren. You are dismissed"

The students nodded, and left the Principal behind, who couldn't believe how many things had happened in a day, and that they could get sorted out.

/

Rune had been waiting for the others to leave the infirmary, so he could have a moment of privacy with Alys… Not that he could do much in his new role, but at least to chat with her without all those eyes on his back, as he had had the entire day.

He stared into the window, as he took a deep breath before coming into the small office. There were so many things to tell Alys, that he didn't know where to begin with…

"So you are a Lutz, uh?", Alys' voice asked, as she came out from the first aid room.

He smirked. She always went straight to the point.

Rune turned back, slowly and seriously. "How did you get to know that?"

"Kyra popped up in the first aid room, crying desperately, saying that it couldn't be true that such a inconsiderate jerk like you could be her beloved Lutz. As I barely understood a word, due to her cries and the fact that I'm no Esper, she had to explain everything to me", Alys explained, leaning over the wall. "I knew that there was something strange about you", she said, confidently. "Alright, you have confirmed me yourself that you couldn't think about dating and such things, but you have always been so vague that I kept the secret, hidden hope that you would change your mind. Not that you couldn't change it"

"Alys...", Rune just mumbled, embarrassed.

"Now I guess I know why you switched schools back at Middle School", she said, melancholically. "Your mission wouldn't allow you to spend your time with the normal kids, uh? So you were never sick at all, to begin with?"

Those words, filled with bitterness, weren't suitable in Alys' mouth. She could be harsh, she could be tough, but bitterness and remorse didn't suit her. They couldn't suit her.

"But now I'm back"

"For the time being", she said, strongly

"For the time being…", he admitted, his head down in small embarrassment. "I took my role as Lutz, and I've returned here to improve my training… and to be with you, in some way"

Alys smiled, troubled. She didn't know for how much longer he would stay with her. She would have to accept what little he could give to her, without questioning it back.

"Well, I'll have to thank Zio, because it made you carry me in your arms… too bad I was unconscious to enjoy it", she joked.

Rune smirked, and grabbed Alys from her legs and arms, and carried her in his arms, once more.

"No, please, let me down!", she pleaded, embarrassed. She was completely red, up to her ears!

Rune smirked, he was enjoying it greatly.

"My little secret got exposed to the entire school by an already dead King of long ago… I don't think I can get more embarrassed than that ever… so walking with you like this is like a game, after that. Besides, you are still weak, so I prefer to carry you, rather than having you over-doing it, when you are so proun to those kind of things"

"No, let me down, please!", she went on begging. "Right now I'm overdoing it!"

Under his laughing, he let her gently on the ground, and faced her. "I thought you wanted that"

"No more teasing, I'm still weak, please", Alys begged, blushing.

Rune grabbed the tilt of her chin, and made her look at his eyes. "I wish I could keep on teasing you like there was no tomorrow"

"But there's tomorrow, and the day after, and the following…", she said, glaring at him. "So, I would like you not to make it more difficult to me… If you keep on being nice to me, I'll be left waiting for more…"

"You know I can't promise you anything…"

"Yes, that's why I'm asking you not to be too nice to me. Let's behave like… siblings, I guess?"

That was the worst line she could ever say, but it was best to delimit the "friend-zone", rather than waiting for something that most likely wouldn't happen.

"Alright, I'll be the best brother you'll ever have", he said. But there was something else he had to leave in clear, just in case.

"Alys… I know we are still months away, but now I know it troubles you… if no one asks you out by the time the Ball approaches, would you mind attending it with me as your date?"

"Wouldn't it be nice if you would do it because you feel it, rather than because I sort of implied it to you?"

"It's not a thing about if I like it, feel it or do it out of obligation. I can't offer you anything else but that Ball, I can't offer you any relationship, because I would neglect you in front of my duties as a Lutz. I would rather hurt you once, rather than hurt you every day… In fact, I would rather not hurt you at all, but it's already too late for that"

"Alright… then, I'll take what you can offer me", she said, smiling lightly. "That way, I can prevent Zio from asking me out, and I can help you in getting away from the raging fangirls you'll get, now that they know that you are a walking piece of History"

"Nice way of summing it up, honey", he teased her. It would be difficult to control those little behaviors they had from ages ago.

She frowned a little.

"Alright, sorry, old habits die hard!", he apologized, concerned. "Shall we go with the others?"

Alys sighed.

"Ok… but don't walk too far from me, in case I fall down… I'm still weak"

Rune got closer to her, and while walking, he said, "You know… you can lean on my arm… at least until we get to the front door"

He knew her too well. Or was she so easy to tell?

Alys blushed lightly, then grabbed his arm, gently. "Thanks"

"You don't have to even mention it", he smiled at her, proud of being useful, somehow.

Slowly, they made their way to the exit, but Alys didn't seem eager to let go of his arm, for once.

/

Rune helped Alys to get out of the school, letting her walk leaning on his arm. Outside the school, their friends were waiting for them to show up.

Chaz run to Alys and hugged her, touched. "I thought you wouldn't be okay…"

"Hey, wait a bit more to kill me, you whinny boy", she laughed, nervously. "At least I got a good cane to walk with", she teased Rune, grinning.

He liked how she could turn a disadvantage in her favor in no time, it was so much like her.

He smirked back, taking the statement into account.

"How do you feel, Alys?", Rika asked, concerned.

"I still feel weak, but I'm feeling slighter and slighter better as the minutes go past… Whatever that magic was, it was too damn powerful"

Rune nodded.

Everyone was relieved now, for Alys was safe, and not many people had seen the battle, so they could say they managed to remain hidden, without calling too much attention.

Now, it was time to enjoy the moment.

"Then, Rune… will you come to the Mansion for the next festivity? I would like to have a photo taken with you all dressed up!", Hans pleaded.

Kyra rolled her eyes. "You are worse than a fangirl, Hans", she said, annoyed. "What's more… you are a traitor, siding with him now!"

"But he's the Master!"

"And you are an idiot!"

"I would love to see that", Alys said, smiling mischievously.

Rune looked in another direction, but Alys could tell he was embarrassed, as the tip of his ears –the little she could see of him among his hair- were bright red.

She giggled, enjoying it greatly.

"Will you take me? Apart from the Prom Ball, will you take me to that so called Mansion, someday?"

Rune couldn't agree to that so easily, even if we wanted. "Maybe", he just replied. "To the Ball, I think that's a fact. The other one, I can't say"

Alys sighed. "I'll have to live with what little I can get", she said, leaning her head on his strong arm. "However, you'll have to take me to the Prom, or I'll tear you into pieces, then"

Rune stared at her, then laughed. "Will you need eight strokes?"

"With whatever amount I need"

They both laughed, used to that kind of jokes.

"I don't know if I should say they are lovey-dovey, or in a killing rampage", Kyra stated, puzzled.

"Yes, it amuses me all the time", Chaz admitted, seriously.

"I think they are a cute couple", Rika said, smiling.

"You wouldn't say that if you were to see them practicing at the Guild… wait, you've already seen Rune at a real battle", the blonde boy said.

"And it was a great thing!", the new girl said, enthusiastic.

Hahn, their counselor, joined the group, followed by Gryz, who had stayed the entire day looking after his younger sister Pana, much to her embarrassment.

"Well, girls and boys, I come from the Principal's office, and I can tell you that we are over for the day, after all this ruckus…", he explained, untying the knot of his tie. "So, you are free to leave, without any problems"

"Woohoo!"

"Yeah, yeah… see you tomorrow, I have to pick Saya up from the kindergarten", he said, smiling. "I just hope everything had been peaceful there"

They saw him leave in haste, eager to know how his sweetheart was doing.

"And there he goes, speedy", Gryz said. "I think I've never seen him walk so fast before"

"I think she has him wrapped around her finger", Kyra said, not so pleased.

"Wow, it's so cute that his lover is also working at the school", Rika commented, happy.

"At least, some can enjoy their love", Alys mumbled, touched.

Rune kept on staring at the sky, as if he could find an answer there, but he already knew it was futile.

"Well, we have to leave, Chaz", Alys said, clapping at him. "You have training today"

Chaz stared at her, surprised. "Alys, you were almost with one foot on the grave, and now you are bossing me around?"

"Practice makes perfect", she said. "Besides, I won't be the one doing the exercise, but you… and you should better be in good shape in case some other evil guy from the past happens to return, like today"

"Sometimes, you are a devil", he mumbled under his breath.

"I've heard you", Alys remarked, grinning. "And I'll take it as a compliment for today"

"Alright, alright, let's go…", he said, playing around with his sword. "But you should have seen my sword technique today against Lashiec… it was…"

"I bet your swing was too slow", she interrupted him, laughing.

Chaz rolled his eyes, defeated.

"We are going, too", Gryz said, grabbing his younger sister Pana from her shoulders. "We have a long way home"

"Yes, me too", Rika said, concerned.

"Do you need someone to accompany you?", Chaz offered, wishing to skip practice.

"Professor Wren had offered himself to take me home. He wants to say hi to Seed, my father", Rika said, smiling. "So I'm going back into school to look for him"

"That won't do, I'm already here", a slightly metallic male voice said. "Ready to leave?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, see you tomorrow, kids"

"See you!", Rika waved at everyone, smiling.

Everyone parted ways, leaving the Esper trio behind.

The dreaded moment had finally came for Rune.

"Kyra, Hans… we'll have to talk, later, and calmly", Rune said, seriously.

Hans nodded.

Kyra bit her lip.

"I think I can say that my secret is safe with both of you, right?", he asked, anxiously. "I know it's too much to ask you, but please, don't start gossiping about this. You already know how it feels to see the image of your worshiped hero shaking, as if it was an earthquake…"

"You don't have to worry about it", Kyra said, touched. "Hans' already on your side, and I don't want anyone to feel as strange as I'm feeling right now…"

Rune smiled. "Thanks, Kyra, that's more than enough… I'll try to live up to your standards, and I hope you'll understand that I'm not really Lutz, but a young man with his memories transferred onto him, as well as the ones of Lutz's successors in his role. If you ever have to talk about this, just tell me"

They nodded, Hans livelier than Kyra.

Rune smiled, feeling at ease with his fellow Esper companions.

"Let's go home, shall we?"

They left the school, wishing that the following day would be much simpler than today.

/

Rika left her things over one of the ultra-technological tables in Seed's complex. "I'm home!", she shouted, excitedly.

"Welcome home, little one", Seed's voice gave her the most paternal welcoming she could get. "How was your day? Although I already have an idea, considering the need you felt to contact me before coming home"

"It was… exciting, to say the least", she said, rubbing her chin. "I met lots of people, and it was a strange day… everyone kept on repeating that"

"Well, not every day an old figure of Universal History awakens to get rid of a bunch of students", Seed teased her, already warned by Wren, and his own sensing devices.

"I suppose so… everyone kept on saying that, too"

Seed chuckled. "It was really nice of Wren to drive you home. Very thoughtful of him"

"Yes, it was the best thing to do… I've been stared at my ears a couple of times… I bet it would just get worse once I tried to return home. Besides, I was tired of all that battle, and of all those meetings and introductions, I was really nervous"

"I know"

Rika rubbed her chin. Something was troubling her.

She didn't know if Seed would answer her or not, but trying couldn't be wrong, could it?

She stood in front of him, in the center of the room.

"Seed, just why did you send me to school? I could have learned everything from you!", she asked, angstly.

A sound that could have been taken as a human sigh could be heard. "You can't learn everything from me, Rika", Seed finally said. "There are many things I can't explain to you, as I'm a computer. I can tell you everything about History, Maths, even Literature, but there are many things that I could only describe to you as they appear in the bibliography, because I can't feel them. Palmans, Motavians and Dezorians are the only ones who can teach you what emotions are, what living really is… with me, you can only make up an idea. With them, you can see what it really is like"

Rika stayed silent, touched. Seed was her father, after all. Even if he couldn't really feel, he sure came close to it.

"Academically speaking, I'm the best thing around", Seed joked. "But it would only be from one point of view. You would be lacking the real thing"

Rika nodded, thoughtfully.

"So, would you like to stay here rather than going to school?"

Rika considered the idea… It would be so much easier rather than travelling for so long every day, afraid of exposing her ears and been exposed by them. It would be much comfortable than wearing that itchy fabric uniform. It would be much better than thinking "Seed already taught me this" when the teachers spoke.

But it would be so lonely.

"No, I'll keep going… there are many things I still have to learn, and that I wouldn't be able to know if I stay here… There's so many things I don't know…"

If Seed had been a human being, he would have smiled proudly. Instead, his screens turned different colors, in a signal of happiness.

"Alright. I think it's the best decision, Rika"

"I hope so", she said, smiling.

"And don't get too close to that Chaz guy from the start, or I'll have to find a way to see if he's affine young man"

"I hadn't mentioned Chaz at all!", she protested, blushing.

"Uh, oh… are you sure?", Seed panicked, realizing he had exposed himself.

"Did Wren tell you?"

Some sudden flashes of light could be taken as a yes. Rika would have said that Seed was frowning and blushing.

"That's quite over-protective of you, you know", she teased him.

"I may have the records of some jealous father installed in my memory", Seed excused himself. "There's no other way I could have felt something"

There was no way?

"Well, whatever the case, Chaz's a good guy", Rika defended him. "He helped me greatly today, and introduced his friends to me"

"A bunch of weirdoes"

"Don't be jealous! You came up with the idea of me going to school"

"I know… and I've already told you why I think it's the best… it's just that I'm starting to think that I may have some unknown, hidden algorithms deep down, that I never thought I would run"

"Some things close to emotions?"

"Seems like it"

Rika smiled proudly and threw a kiss to the giant panel of screens. "That's great to hear, then"

"I'm not entirely sure…", Seed mumbled, fearful of his own future.

The End

/

Notes:

I've been struggling with this little fic since… 5 years ago, more or less? Never got to really write it, had it planned, and taking space in bytes in my hard disk and room in my fic folder… and somehow, the inspiration finally came. (good Lord, it sure takes it time to visit me!)

Poor Chaz ended up being the comic relief, or the trigger to explanations... more or less like in the game.

Hans is the name I came up with for the guy at the Door of the Inner Sanctum who knows Kyra and calls her by her name. Now that I'm finishing writing this, after years of coming into and out from this fic, I do realize that it's too similar to Hahn… but I wasn't going to change it, since, for me, it had always been Hans. But I did a little trouble like the Alis-Alys thing without realizing.

Finally, its over. I hope you've had a nice time reading this!


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